Tantalus
Tantalus was a Greek mythological figure, most famous for his eternal punishment in Tartarus. He was also called Atys. He was made to stand in a pool of water beneath a fruit tree with low branches, with the fruit ever eluding his grasp, and the water always receding before he could take …
What was Tantalus punished for?
Tantalus is a figure from Greek mythology who was the rich but wicked king of Sipylus. For attempting to serve his own son at a feast with the gods, he was punished by Zeus to forever go thirsty and hungry in Hades despite being stood in a pool of water and almost within reach of a fruit tree.
Why was Tantalus tortured?
Tantalus was punished for his hubris into Tartarus in eternal torture by thirst and hunger, although he was standing in water and had food in front of him.
What did Tantalus do to anger the gods?
(2) He offended the gods by killing his son Pelops and serving him to them in order to test their power of observation. (3) He stole nectar and ambrosia, the food of the gods, from heaven and gave them to mortals, according to Pindar's first Olympian ode.
Who killed Tantalus?
He was the brother of Pleisthenes. An alternative genealogy makes him the son of Broteas. Tantalus and Pleisthenes were killed in revenge by their uncle Atreus, their father's brother, after Thyestes seduced Aerope, wife of Atreus. The latter was a king of Mycenae.
What did Tantalus do to his children?
Most famously, Tantalus offered up his son, Pelops, as a sacrifice. He cut Pelops up, boiled him, and served him up in a banquet for gods in order to test their omniscience.
What is the moral of the story of Tantalus?
The story of Tantalus in Greek mythology was a morality tale. It reflected Greek culture, ethics, and religion at the time. The moral of this myth was that selfish actions could have enduring consequences that may be unpredictable at the time.
What did Tantalus do to deserve his fate?
Tantalus offered the stolen goods to his friends merely to impress them, divulging what was exclusively reserved for the divine to mortals. Upon discovery of his treacherous deeds, Tantalus' mighty father destroyed him, banishing him to Hades forever where he would suffer extreme hunger and thirst.
Why is it called a Tantalus?
The tantalus was so called after Tantalus, one of the sons of Zeus. The myth says that when invited to dine at the table of the Gods, Tantalus stole some ambrosia for his personal use. As punishment for this crime, Tantalus was forced to stand in a pool of water under a fruit tree.
How many kids did Zeus?
Zeus has four siblings which include Hera, Hades, Poseidon, and Hestia. Zeus also had six children which include Artemis, Apollo, Hermes, Athena, Ares, and Aphrodite. Together we will explore and learn about Greek Mythology, Zeus and his family through this beautiful gallery.
Can Tantalus eat?
Tantalus was doomed to suffer from hunger and thirst eternally, since he could not reach the fruit or the water. Although he was close to the fruits and the water, whenever he tried to take a piece of fruit or drink a little water, the tree and the water would move away from him, so that he could not reach them.
What happened to Tantalus son after Demeter had eaten his shoulder?
The Banquet of Tantalus. At the banquet the gods refused to eat, except for Demeter, who, distracted by grief for the loss of her daughter (see MLS, Chapter 14), ate part of Pelops' shoulder. The gods restored him to life, giving him an ivory shoulder to replace the part eaten by Demeter.
What was the evil deed Tantalus committed?
Tantalus has been punished for a crime similar to Atreus': he killed and cooked his own child, Pelops, serving him up at a banquet of the gods. Horrified by the trick, the gods condemned Tantalus to stand eternally in a river, while enticing clusters of fruit grew from trees above his head.
What happened to Tantalus in the Odyssey?
For his wrongdoing, Tantalus was doomed to Tartarus, where he stood in a pool of water. When he would try to drink, the water would recede. Additionally, fruit would hang from trees just above him, but would move away when he tried to pick them. Odysseus sees Tantalus in Book 11 of the Odyssey.
What was the evil deed Tantalus committed?
Tantalus has been punished for a crime similar to Atreus': he killed and cooked his own child, Pelops, serving him up at a banquet of the gods. Horrified by the trick, the gods condemned Tantalus to stand eternally in a river, while enticing clusters of fruit grew from trees above his head.
Who was Tantalus the tragic downfall of Tantalus?
Tantalus was wealthy and powerful, which led to arrogance. He was invited to the table of the gods where Greek authors described him committing one of three insults. Some said he stole divine ambrosia and nectar and gave them to the mortals on Earth.
What did Tantalus do to deserve his fate?
Tantalus offered the stolen goods to his friends merely to impress them, divulging what was exclusively reserved for the divine to mortals. Upon discovery of his treacherous deeds, Tantalus' mighty father destroyed him, banishing him to Hades forever where he would suffer extreme hunger and thirst.
What does it mean to tantalize?
What does it mean to tantalize? If something is tantalizing, it is highly desirable but also just out of reach. This is frustrating enough in small doses, but can you imagine an eternity of it? The word tantalize actually stems from the name of Tantalus, a figure in Greek mythology. Tantalus was cursed so badly by the gods that his name is now synonymous with his punishment. What did he do to deserve this? It's a famous and tragic tale of hubris. Is the story tantalizing you yet?
What does Tantalus steal?
In the first version of the story, Tantalus steals the nectar and ambrosia served only at this divine table and smuggles it back to the world to share with other mortals. Bringing the food of the gods to humanity threatens to upset the balance between the mortal and immortal worlds.
What did Tantalus do to earn his punishment?
To earn his punishment, Tantalus would end up seriously offending the gods. How'd he do it? There are actually three different stories in Greek mythology that show Tantalus' disrespect and hubris, but all begin with him being invited to dine with the gods. In this era, the first generation of mortals were allowed to eat at the table of the gods on Mount Olympus.
What did the gods do to Tantalus?
Now we get to the good part: what did the gods do to Tantalus? First, they cursed his kingdom and lineage. Then, when Tantalus died he went to a special part of the world known as Tartarus. This was where the most wicked mortals went and where Zeus was known to impose especially harsh (and tragically poetic) punishments.
What punishment did Tantalus get?
Every time he tried to grab the fruit, it rose out of his reach. Tantalus' punishment was to spend eternity starving and dying of thirst, while surrounded by fresh water and succulent fruit that was constantly just beyond his grasp. He was to be forever tantalized.
What does it mean to enroll in a course?
Enrolling in a course lets you earn progress by passing quizzes and exams.
What does Zeus do in the second version of the story?
In the second version of the story, he stirs up a conversation amongst the mortal guests about the gods' plans for humanity. Through this, he gets the gods' secrets out of them and then takes those secrets back to the mortal world and shares them with humanity. This also threatens to upset the balance of cosmic power, and also violates the divine mandates of being a good houseguest (something ordained by Zeus himself).
What punishment did Socrates give to his accusers?
In ancient Athens a person convicted of crimes against the state was expected to suggest his own punishment. Most people expected Socrates would suggest banishment, which would almost certainly have satisfied his accusers. Instead, he proposed that he be given a pension and maintained at state’s expense. This enraged his accusers as well as many members of the jury, and he received a death sentence.
What happened to Tantalus when he wanted to drink?
Tantalus himself was condemned to stand in a lake that would stand to his lips. When he wanted to drink, however, the water surface would recede immediately. Also, a branch laden with ripe fruit would hang before his mouth, but when he wanted to eat one, the branch would recede. And finally, above his head was a huge stone about to fall.
What happened to Socrates after the sentence was handed down?
After the sentence was handed down, Socrates was afforded opportunities to escape, and probably wouldn’t have been pursued if he tried. But he chose to stay, arguing that Athens was his home and the place he chose to live, and therefore had a right to condemn him. So he allowed the sentence to be carried out, drinking a cup of poison hemlock his jailers prepared for him and taking his own life.
Why was Socrates sentenced to death?
His official charges were corrupting the youth of Athens and disrespecting the gods, but to say this was why he was sentenced to death is misleading . According to Plato’s Apology, the Delphic Oracle (believed to be the voice of the gods) declared that Socrates was the wisest of all men. Socrates believed he was ignorant, yet he also regarded the oracle as infallible. To resolve the conundrum he set out to test the oracle’s meaning by questioning men (and in ancient Athens, they were all men) with great reputations for wisdom. A brilliant debater on his feet, Socrates succeeded again and again in demonstrating that their claims of wisdom were false; and that, while they thought themselves wise, they really were not. Ultimately, he concluded that his “wisdom” consisted in awareness of his own ignorance: The men who claimed to have knowledge of concepts such as “truth,” “justice,” and “piety” did not really know them at all, whereas Socrates neither knew nor thought he knew, and thus was wiser.
Why did Tantalus serve Pelops?
One day he had invited the gods to a banquet. He served them his own son Pelops to see if the gods were truly omniscient. The gods were immediately aware of the horrific deed, except Demeter who was distracted by the loss of her daughter Persephone and ate part of the boy’s shoulder. The gods brought the boy back to life, with a piece of ivory replacing the part that was eaten. Tantalus, however, was severely punished:
Why did the Athenians begrudge Socrates?
Another reason many Athenians begrudged Socrates is that he and Alcibiades were lovers. Alcibiades was a prominent statesman and general, but ultimately a traitor who betrayed Athens. So the association brought Socrates even more enemies.
How did Patricians get away with corruption?
For Patricians it was often possible to get away with crimes of corruption and conspiring against the state by simply being stripped of property or sent into exile. However in other cases they could be subjected to any manner of torture and execution.
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What is the meaning of "back up"?
Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience.
Who did Theoi fall in love with?
Theoi mentions other stories which I've never heard before, so I don't know how common they are (including one which says he fell in love with Zeus's cup-bearing boy Ganymede and carried him off!).
Who was a bad person sent to the fields of punishment?
Tantalus, who was a bad person, was sent to the fields of punishment.
